Vehicle-mounted receptacle

ABSTRACT

A VEHICLE-MOUNTED RECEPTACLE INCLUDING COOPERATIVE FOREAND-AFT GUIDE AND SUPPORT MEANS ENABLING LENGTHWISE SLIDING INSTALLATION OF THE RECEPTACLE AND OPERATOR-MOUNTABLE STEP   MEANS INCLUDING MOUNTING MEANS BLOCKING LENGTHWISE REMOVAL OF THE RECEPTACLE.

United States Patent Inventor Francis Edward Schlueter Des Moines, IowaApp]. No 857,785

Filed Sept. 15, I969 Patented June 28, 197i Assignee Deere & CompanyMoline, Ill.

VEHICLE-MOUNTED RECEPTACLE [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,946,598 7/1960 Foster 280/5R 2.978185 4/1961 Pearch 239/127X 2,985,3795/1961 Strickland. 239/127 3,394.772 7/1968 Abold 280/5A PrimaryExaminer- Leo Friaglia Altorneys-l-l. Vincent Harsha, Harold M. Knoth,William A.

Murray. John M. Nolan and Raymond L. Hollister ABSTRACT: Avehicle-mounted receptacle including cooperative fore-and-aft guide andsupport means enabling lengthwise sliding installation of the receptacleand operatormountable step means including mounting means blockinglengthwise removal of the receptacle.

J I (l 42 2+ 24 35;,

PATENTEDJUN28I9H 3588.136

FIG. 2 J 24 FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

FRANCIS EDWARD SCHLUETER VEHICLE-MOUNTED RECEPTACLE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to and is especially useful inselfpropelled vehicles of the type constructed for operation in fieldsof growing row crops where the frame is elevated so as to clear thecrops and a tank or receptacle is carried by the vehicle for containinga liquid for treating the crops or the soil in which the crops aregrowing. One problem encountered in vehicles of this type has been inthe mounting of the tank for easy installation and removal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the vehicleis provided with an elevated frame including a pair of transverselyspacedapart side members between which the tank or receptacle may besuspended after being mountable by means providing for lengthwiseinstallation thereof, together with an operatormountable step meanswhich has mounting means functioning also to secure the tank in place,thus affording a simple and economical construction that permits easyassembly and disassembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation of a typicalvehicle of the class referred to; 3

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section as seen along the line 2-2 onFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary section as seen along the line3-3 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The vehicle chosen for purposes ofillustration is a specially constructed tractor having a fore-and-aftmain frame including opposite or front and rear ends, the identificationof which is determinable by noting that the arrow 12 indicates thenormal direction of travel. The basic structure of the tractor is suchthat it is higher than the usual agricultural tractor so as to cleargrowing row crops, which is generally conventional construction.

The frame is carried on front and rear wheels 14 and 16, the former ofwhich is steerable from an operators station 18.

The frame includes a pair of elevated, fore-and-aft side members 20,here of tubular construction and each having a rear open end 22. Eachside member is augmented by a channel 24 which lies alongside the memberand which has such vertical dimension as to depend considerably belowthe member and thus to conceal the structure (to be described) behindthe member. Each member thus has an under portion 26 spaced verticallyabove the inturned lower edge of the channel 24 and, spaced below thisunder portion, is a rail 28 which cooperates with a similar rail orangle 30 that forms a support along one fore-and-aft side of a tank orreceptacle 32, it being understood that the opposite side of the tankhas a similar rail 30. In the case of an agricultural crop sprayer, thetank may contain a suitable liquid solution and may be filled via aremovable top cover 34.

Because of the fore-and-aft disposition of the rails 28 and 30, the tankmay be easily installed from the rear of the vehicle by starting thetank rails 30 on the rear ends of the member rails 28 and pushing thetank forwardly, which eliminates the need for overhead hoists and thelike. The tank in its installed or forward condition abuts a suitableframe part as at 36, and it remains only to confine the tank againstrearward displacement. The novel means provided for this and otherpurposes includes an operator-mountable step means 38 at the rear of thevehicle. This means includes a lower step 40 which engages a lower rearportion of the vehicle from the rear and a pair of generally verticalhandrails 42, each of which has an upper forwardly curved terminalportion 44 including means for preventing or blocking the tank againstrearward displacement. The step 40 enables the operator not only tomount the vehlcle but gives him a suitable vantage point from which toinspect the liquid level of the tank via the cover 34.

The tubular nature of each side member 20 and the space between itsunder portion 26 and the rail means 28-30 provides rear open endsclosable by blocking or plate means 46 on the terminal'end 44 of eachhandrail 42 and engageable from the rear with the associated tank rail30. In each case, the plate is apertured at 48 and the terminal endprojects through the aperture and is rigidly secured to the plate aroundthe aperture as by welding at 50. Further, the terminal end projectswithin the rear end of the associated side member and is thus adapted toreceive a cross fastener such as a bolt 52. Additionally, each plate 46has rigid thereon a lower forward projection 54 that fills the gapbetween the rear part of the under portion 26 of the side member 20 andthe associated rail means 28-30. Each projection may be tapped toreceive a further fastener in the form of a capscrew 56 passed throughsuitable openings in the side member and its channel 24. This structureis of course repeated at the opposite side of the vehicle and the stepmeans 38 is rigidly but removably mounted and contributes to the ease ofmounting and dismounting of the tank.

lclaim:

1. In a vehicle having a fore-and-aft main frame having front and rearends and including transversely spaced-apart foreand-aft membersrespectively having terminal ends at one of said main frame ends and areceptacle receivable between said members, the improvement comprisingsupport means at opposite fore-and aft sides of the receptacle forrespectively engaging and resting on the members so that the receptaclecan be mounted on the member ends and moved lengthwise of the frametoward the other end thereof for installation in the frame, andoperator-mountable step means carried at said one end of the frame andincluding releasable frame-connected securing means including portionsblocking the member ends and receptacle supports to prevent oppositelengthwise removal of the receptacle from the frame.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which the receptacle has anelevated top and the step means provides access to said top, and saidstep means includes laterally spaced handrails having upper partssecured to said members and said upper parts include said blockingportions.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, in which the members are tubularand said terminal ends are open and the upper parts of the handrailsinclude elements respectively closing said open ends.

4. The invention defined in claim 3, in which each element is atransverse plate having an aperture therein and each handrail has aterminal portion entering the associated aperture.

5. The invention defined in claim 4, in which each terminal portion isrigidly secured to its plate about the aperture.

6. The invention defined in claim 5, in which each terminal portionprojects through its aperture and is received within the associatedmember and a cross fastener is engaged between each member and theassociated received terminal portion.

7. The invention defined in claim 1 in which each member has afore-and-aft under portion and carries a fore-and-aft rail spaced belowthe under portion for receiving the associated member, and the blockportions respectively include projections received respectively betweenthe under portions and the receptacle supports.

8. The invention defined in claim 7, in which the members are tubularand said terminal ends are open and the upper parts of the handrailsinclude elements respectively closing said open ends and also carryingsaid projections.

9. The invention defined in claim 8, in which each element is atransverse plate having an aperture therein and each handrail has aterminal portion entering the associated aperture.

10. The invention defined in claim 9, in which each terminal portion isrigidly secured to its plate about the aperture.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,588,136 Dated 28June 1971 Francis Edward Schlueter Patent No.

Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 59, after "associated" insert receptacle support also inspaced relation below the associated Signed and sealed this 11th day ofJanuary 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Acting Commissioner of PatentsAttesting Officer FORM PO-1050 110-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 U 5.GOVERNMENT NIINYING OFFICE !969 036$ 334

